Recommended Sites

Meiji Jingu Gaien’s Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery

Located at the north side of the Meiji Jingu Gaien garden, this gallery exhibits paintings depicting the virtues of the Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. The building was designed by the winner in a public design competition and constructed with donations from the citizens of Japan. This reinforced concrete building is covered by granite, stretching 112 meters west and east and 35 meters north and south, with the center dome 32 meters in height. The granite was from the Man-nari area of Okayama Prefecture. The roof is covered with copper shingles and the interior uses domestic marble stones, including one from Mino, Gifu Prefecture (national important cultural property).

First-class painters created the exhibited pictures depicting the lives and major achievements of the Emperor and Empress based on historical records. The collection includes about 40 Japanese-style paintings and 40 Western-style paintings, which are 3 meters in height and 2.7 meters in width. The cost for the picture production was donated by people who had some kind of link with each picture.